Tennis racket rack

ABSTRACT

The tennis racket display rack is supported horizontally from a perforated panel and has a plurality of racket support bays for supporting adjacent racket heads parallel to each other and offset from each other for exposing a portion of the face of each racket. In some embodiments each of the bays is formed by cooperation of portions of adjacent L-shaped bars spot welded into a unitary structure. The rack permits the displayed rackets to face either right or left as desired. In another embodiment the bays are symmetrical and each is defined by a single L-shaped bar with a cross-bar on each leg of the L.

1*Dec. 17, 1974 TENNIS RACKET RACK [75] Inventor: William C. Kinard, Pasadena, Calif.

[73] Assignee: Relton Corporation, Arcadia, Calif.

[ Notice: The portion of the term of this patent subsequent to June 4, 1991,

has been disclaimed.

[22] Filed: Feb. 26, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 336,059

Related U.S. Application Data [63] Continuation-impart of Ser. No. 235,682, March 17,

1972, Pat. NO. 3,814,263.

[52] U.S. Cl 211/13, 211/106, 248/DIG. 3 [51] Int. Cl. A47f 7/00 [58] Field of Search..... 211/106, 105.1, 60 T, 60 R, 211/60 S, 13, 64, 65, 68, 87,181,14;

248/DIG. 3, 223

3,221,893 12/1965 Glaberson et al 248/D1G. 3 3,361,266 1/1968 Williams 211/113 X 3,481,487 12/1969 Parvolo 248/D1G. 3 3,715,096 2/1973 Filbert 248/D1G. 3

FQREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 416,832 0/1910 France 211/123 Primary ExaminerRamon S. Britts Attorney, Agent, or FirmChristie, Parker & Hale 5 7 ABSTRACT The tennis racket display rack is supported horizon tally from a perforated panel and has a plurality of racket support bays for supporting adjacent racket heads parallel to each other and offset from each other for exposing a portion of the face of each racket. In some embodiments each of the bays is formed by cooperation of portions of adjacent L- shaped bars spot welded into a unitary structure. The rack permits the displayed rackets to face either right or left as desired. In another embodiment the bays are symmetrical and each is defined by a single L-shaped bar with a cross-bar on each leg of the L.

11 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures TENNIS RACKET RACK BACKGROUND At present tennis rackets are displayed in pro shops, sporting goods stores and the like in a haphazard manner. A few rackets may be displayed on individual pegs or pairs of pegs on the wall. If there are only a very few rackets this may be satisfactory. Most sporting goods stores, however, carry a large stock of tennis rackets to satisfy the wishes of a variety of tennis players. Thus, for example, in a sporting goods store a number of manufacturers may be represented and within each line of rackets there may be variations in weight and balance. Most shops carry both metal and wood frame rackets and there may be a variety of stringing materials, as well as unstrung rackets which are strung to order. With all of these possible variations, a sporting goods store or pro shop may have far too many rackets to display individually.

One display technique that has been used employs long pegs fastened to the wall or to a perforated panel fastened on the wall. A single peg may extend between the strings and support the rackets by the tops of their frames. In other arrangements a pair of adjacent pegs span the upper end of the handle and support the lower end of the head of the rackets, with the handles hanging down.

Either of these arrangements is unsatisfactory since several rackets are typically displayed on each peg or pair of pegs. This means that if a customer wishes to examine any racket except the one in front, all of the overlying rackets must be removed to reach it. This is not only inconvenient to the customer or shopkeeper but it might also lead to damage if several rackets are removed and some are dropped due to an inability to hold four or five rackets at the same time. Even if no damage occurs to the rackets, the customer may be discouraged from buying if he thinks that the racket he is about to purchase has been treated in a similar manner. Another disadvantage of the storage and display of rackets in a series on a peg or pegs is that only the outermost racket is exposed to the view of the customer. Either the customer fails to recognize the various styles of racket available or substantially all of the rackets must be removed from the pegs just to see what the stock actually is.

Because of this it is desirable to provide a tennis racket display rack suitable for a large number of tennis rackets or the like that permits viewing and access to any individual tennis racket without disturbing the others in the display. A similar rack capable of storing fewer rackets is also useful in a home where several members of the family play tennis or have several rackets. Such a racket rack is a great boon to clean closets.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Thus in practice of this invention according to a presently preferred embodiment there is provided a tennis racket display rack having an elongated support member and means for mounting it in a horizontal position. A plurality of individual racket support bays skewed relative to the length thereof are spaced along the length of the support member. These bays support the heads of adjacent rackets parallel to each other and offset from each other for exposing a portion of the face of each racket. Each support bay is formed by cooperation between a pair of adjacent generally L-shaped bars or by a single L-shaped bar with a cross-bar on each leg of the L, bonded to the support member and including means for inhibiting removal of a racket from the bay unless it is partly lifted from its display position.

DRAWINGS These and other features and advantages of the present invention will be appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description of a presently preferred embodiment when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 illustrates in plan view a tennis racket display rack constructed according to principles of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary view of another embodiment of tennis racket display rack;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary plan view of another embodiment of tennis racket display rack;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of one end of another tennis racket rack; and

FIG. 5 is an end view of the rack of FIG. 4.

DESCRIPTION FIG. 1 illustrates in plan view a tennis racket display rack constructed according to principles of this invention. As illustrated in this presently preferred embodiment the display rack has a 4 inch diameter bar 6 extending along the length thereof, this bar can be any arbitrary length but is typically about 3 to 4 feet long. Transverse to the long support bar 6 are a plurality of mounting bars 7. In a typical embodiment, four such mounting bars are spot welded to the support bar and conveniently these are also inch bars. A sleeve 8 is brazed on to each of the mounting bars 7 at the end opposite from the support bar 6. The other end of the sleeve is tapped and an L-shaped bolt 9 is threaded into the sleeve.

A perforated panel mounting bracket 11 is spot welded to the L-shaped bolt 9. The perforated panel mounting bracket 11 has a pair of parallel upstanding legs 12 of about Vs inch diameter. When the tennis racket display rack is used, the legs 12 which are 1 inch apart fit through the holes in a conventional perforated panel and the foot 13 of the L-shaped bolt 9 bears against the face of the perforated panel for supporting the rack in a conventional manner. In the illustration of FIG. 1, the L-shaped bolts and mounting brackets are rotated in the threaded sleeve in different positions to most clearly illustrate these elements. When the display rack is mounted all of the legs 12 are parallel to each other.

The combination of an L-shaped bolt threaded into the sleeve permits the mounting brackets to be rotatably adjusted so that the rack can be positioned with either face up. The rack illustrated in the embodiment of FIG. 1 is asymmetrical and as illustrated can be considered to be lefthanded, since the rackets displayed thereon are best viewed from the left. By reversing the mounting brackets and inverting the rack it becomes righthanded. The display rack is therefore quite versatile and can be mounted in any desired position in a sporting goods shop for the most advantageous display of the tennis rackets. It will be apparent that the L- shaped bolts threaded into a sleeve do not form the only means for rotatably adjusting the pegboard mounting brackets, Thus, for example, a headed shaft rotatable in a surrounding sleeve may be suitable.

On the opposite side of the support bar 6 from the mounting bars 7 are a plurality of L-shaped bars 16. The crook 17 between the leg 18 and base 19 of each of the Is -shaped bars is spot welded to the side of the support bar. The end of the base 19 of each of the legs underlaps (or overlaps if the rack is inverted) a midportion of the leg 18 of the adjacent L-shaped bar 16 and is spot welded thereto. At the end of the leg 18 of each of the L-shaped bars 16 is a spherical bead 21 which may be brazed or spot welded in place or, if desired, upset from the bar itself. At the end of the rack the final L-shaped bar has a short, straight segment 22 welded to the end of the base 19 and extending parallel to the leg of the L-shaped bar.

The series of L-shaped bars 16 extending along the length of the support member 6 define a plurality of tennis racket support bays on the display rack. When the rack is used the handle of a racket is placed in the support bay and the bottom portion of thehead rests on the parallel legs 18 of a pair of adjacent L-shaped bars 16 with the handle hanging down. Thus the bay is formed by the inside of one of the L-shaped bars and a portion of the outside of the adjacent L-shaped bar. The head of the racket lies parallel to the base 19 of the L-shaped bar forming two of the three sides of the bay.

The angle between the leg 18 and the base 19 of each of the L-shaped bars is 90 and the bars are welded to the support member so that both the leg and base make a 45 angle therewith; thus when tennis rackets are hung on the display rack, the heads are skewed relative to the length of the support member 6 at an angle of 45. The heads are also offset from each other by about the width of the bays and therefore a portion of the face of each of the rackets and the handle of each of the rackets is exposed to the customer. If desired alternate bays can be used to expose more of the face of each racket.

The beads 21 on the ends of the legs 18 provide a minor obstruction at the open end of the bay. This obstruction is, however, sufficient to inhibit removal of a racket from the bay unless it is lifted slightly to pass over the bead. The bead also prevents damage to rackets which might arise from sharp edges. It will be noted that the spherical bead is symmetrical so that if the rack is used in either its righthanded or lefthanded positions, the rackets are still prevented from inadvertently being dislodged from the rack.

When it is desired to examine one of the rackets in the rack it is only necessary to grip the handle and lift the racket slightly when bringing it forward to clear the bead at the end of the leg. It is also desirable to twist the racket somewhat so that its head clears the heads 7 of adjacent rackets; the more the racket is lifted from The distance between the legs of adjacent bars is sufficient to support the lower part of the head of the racket with the center of gravity of the racket below the support point. If the bay is too narrow, some styles of rackets will rest too high and may have a tendancy to tilt. If the bay is too wide, there is a noticeable loss of display space without concomitant benefit. In a preferred embodiment the distance between adjacent legs is about 1- /8 inch which has been found optimum for supporting most styles of tennis rackets.

FIG. 2 illustrates in fragmentary plan view another embodiment of tennis racket display rack constructed according to principles of this invention. As illustrated in this embodiment a main support member 26 extends along the length of the rack in a horizontal direction, generally L-shaped bars 27 are spot welded to the support member 26 and the base 28 of each of the L- shaped bars is spot welded to a mid portion of the leg 29 of the adjacent bar, thus the interconnection between adjacent L-shaped bars 27 and the support member 26 is the same as that hereinabove described and illustrated in FIG. 1.

Instead of a spherical bead on the end of the leg, the L-shaped bars 27 in the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2 each have a hook 31 at the free end. The hook connects the leg 29 with a short segment 32 terminating in a ball 33. The hook provides a small protrusion 34 into the mouth of the bay which serves to inhibit withdrawal of a racket from the bay in substantially the same manner as the head 21 in the embodiment of FIG. 1. The short segment 32 and ball 33 also inhibit accidental dislodging of a racket from the display rack.

FIG. 3 illustrates in fragmentary plan view another embodiment of tennis racket display rack constructed according to principles of this invention. As illustrated in this embodiment a horizontal support member 41 extends along the length of the display rack. As in the previously described embodiments a plurality of generally L-shaped bars 42 are spot welded to the support member 41. The angle between the base 43 and leg 44 of each of the bars is and they are welded to the support member 41 at symmetrical 45 angles. The base 43 of each of the L-shaped bars underlaps the leg 44 of the adjacent L-shaped bar and is spot welded thereto. This embodiment however is different from the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1 in that the L-shaped bars are symmetrical. The base 43 of each bar extends beyond the end of the weld by a distance equal to the extension of the leg 44 beyond the weld. The free ends of the bases 43 and legs 44 each terminate in a spherical bead 46. The array of adjacent L-shaped bars welded to the support member 42 forms a symmetrical array and there is no longer a need for inverting the rack in order to provide left and right-handed displays. Fixed perforated panel mounting brackets (not shown) can be connected to the supporting member for holding the rack away from a conventional perforated panel. Rackets displayed on the rack can have their heads resting on the legs 44 of adjacent L-shaped bars and parallel to the bases 43 or, if desired, can rest on the bases 43 of adjacent L-shaped bars and be parallel to the legs 44.

FIG. 4 illustrates in top view and FIG. 5 in end view another embodiment of tennis racket display rack constructed according to principles of this invention. As illustrated in this embodiment the individual racket support bays are symmetrical so that tennis rackets can be placed therein with their heads skewed in either direction thereby obviating any need for inverting the rack for right-handed or left-handed display.

As illustrated in this presently preferred arrangement the display rack has an elongated bar 51 extending along its length and a number of generally L-shaped bars 52 are spot welded thereto at the crook of the L. Each of the L-shaped bars 52 has a slight wrinkle 53 at the crook of the L so that two spot welds 54 can be made to the main support bar 51. This assures a high strength bond. A straight offset section 56 is provided on each side of the crook of the L so that the racket support bay is slightly wider in this portion than it is in the region nearer its mouth.

A double bend 57 connects the offset portion 56 with another straight portion 58 of the leg of the L. A right angled bend 59 connects each of the straight portions 58 with a short segment 61 at the end of the leg. A spherical head 62 is at the end of each of the short segments 61. The offset portion 56, the straight portion 58 of the leg of the L, and the short segments 61 are each at an angle of 45 from the main support bar 51. The bends 59 between the straight portion 58 and the end segment 61 on adjacent bars are spot welded together to assure rigidity and strength.

When a tennis racket is placed into the racket support bay as indicated by the heads 60 shown in phantom in FIG. 4, the head thereof rests between the short end segment 61 and the offset portion 56 of the bay. The spherical head 62 and bend 57 in the L-shaped bar retain the racket in position and prevent it from twisting away from an orientation at 45 to the length of the racket support rack. Since the individual bays are symmetrical, rackets can be placed with their heads skewed either to the left or right as may be desired in a particular installation.

The number of bays along the length of the tennis racket rack can be any desired number. It is found for home use that a rack having six symmetrical bays as illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5 is particularly suitable. It is also found convenient to provide a receptacle (not shown) at each end of the six bay tennis racket rack for holding a can of tennis balls. When the rack is to be used in a pro shop or the like it is typically considerably longer and has more bays.

The embodiment of FIGS. 4 and 5 also illustrates an arrangement particularly suitable for mounting the tennis racket rack to the wall. The rack can be mounted on a conventional perforated panel or if a pegboard is not readily available, a sheet metal wall bracket 63 for a single perforated panel hook can be used. The bracket 63 has a flat sheet 64 which is parallel to the wall 66 on which it is mounted. The flat sheet has a pair of holes 67 spaced one inch apart so that they will receive the ends of conventional L-shaped pins 68 of a perforated panel hook. If desired, a slot a little over 1 inch long can be used instead of holes to relax the need for precisely spacing the wall brackets from each other. A wall tab 69 is generally parallel to the flat sheet at each end thereof for fitting against the wall. A screw 71 or the like through each of the wall tabs 69 secures the bracket to the wall. Since the forces are down, one screw in the top tab can be sufficient, although at least one hole in each tab is preferable. A connecting web 72 connects the flat sheet and wall tab at each end so that the flat sheet is spaced from the wall a sufficient distance to accommodate the pins on the pegboard hook. Such a wall bracket 63 can be mounted on a wall in any convenient location even when a conventional perforated panel is not available. The L-shaped pins 68 are on the ends of a U-shaped perforated panel hook 73. This book is spot welded to a L-shaped mounting bar or bracket 74, one end of which is spot welded to the elongated main support bar 51 of the display rack. The other end of the L-shaped bar 74 is welded to a nut 76 through which a bolt 77 is threaded. From two to four such perforated panel mounting brackets are spaced along the length of the tennis racket display rack.

To install the tennis racket display rack the mounting bracket 63 is fastened to the wall and the pins 68 are inserted through the holes. The bolt 77 is then adjusted to level the rack.

Although limited embodiments of tennis racket display racks constructed according to principles of this invention have been described and illustrated herein, many modifications and variations will be apparent to one skilled in the art. It is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

What is claimed is:

1. A tennis racket display rack comprising:

an elongated support member;

means for mounting the support member in a horizontal position;

a plurality of individual tennis racket support bays along the length of the support member for supporting the heads of a plurality of rackets, each support bay having racket support portions skewed relative to the length of the support member for supporting the heads of adjacent rackets parallel to each other and offset from each other for exposing a portion of the face of each racket, each support bay being formed by: the inside of a generally L-shaped bar bonded at the crook of the L to the support member,

a cross-bar on the end of each leg of the L extending generally parallel to the other leg of the L; and

means at the end of each of the cross-bars for inhibiting removal of a racket from the bay unless it is partly lifted from a display position within the bay.

2. A tennis racket display rack as defined in claim 1 wherein the means for inhibiting removal comprises an enlarged bead on the end of the cross-bar.

3. A tennis racket display rack as defined in claim 1 wherein each leg of the L-shaped bar includes an offset portion adjacent the crook of the L for receiving the head of a tennis racket.

4. A tennis racket display rack as defined in claim 3 wherein the distance between the offset portion of each leg of each L-shaped bar and the opposite cross-bar is sufficient for supporting the head of a racket with the center of gravity of the racket below the L-shaped bar.

5. A tennis racket display rack as defined in claim 4 wherein the means for mounting comprises a plurality of perforated panel mounting brackets spaced apart along the length of the rack, each of the brackets comprising a pair of L-shaped pins for extending through holes in a perforated panel, a nut and a bolt threaded through the nut for hearing on the face of a perforated panel.

6. A tennis racket display rack comprising:

an elongated support bar;

a plurality of mounting bars extending away from the support bar;

a perforated panel mounting bracket on the end of each of the mounting bars; and

a plurality of right angled L-shaped bars each having the crook of the L bonded symmetrically to the support member and having each leg bonded to the leg of the adjacent L-shaped bar, each leg of each L-shaped bar including a cross-bar extending generally parallel to the opposite leg for forming a plurality of symmetrical orthogonal racket supporting bays at 45 from the length of the display rack, and wherein the distance between each leg of the bay and the respective cross-bar is sufficient for supporting the head of a racket with the center of gravity of the racket below the L-shaped bars.

7. A tennis racket display rack as defined in claim 6 further comprising:

means at the end of the leg of each of the L-shaped bars for inhibiting removal of a racket from the bay unless it is partly lifted from a display position within the bay.

8. A tennis racket display rack as defined in claim 7 wherein the means for inhibiting removal comprises an enlarged bead on the end of the leg of the L-shaped bar.

9. A tennis racket display rack as defined in claim 8 wherein each leg includes an offset portion adjacent the crook of the L for receiving the head of a tennis racket.

10. A tennis racket display rack comprising:

an elongated support member;

means for mounting the support member in a horizontal position;

a plurality of individual tennis racket support bays along the length of the support member for supporting the heads of a plurality of rackets, each support bay having racket support portions skewed relative to the length of the support member for supporting the heads of adjacent rackets parallel to each other and offset from each other for exposing a portion of the face of each racket, each support bay being formed by:

the inside of a generally L-shaped bar lying in the same plane as the support member and bonded at the crook of the L to the support member,

a cross-bar on the end of each leg of the L extending generally parallel to the other leg of the L; and

means at the end of each of the cross-bars for inhibiting removal of a racket from the bay unless it is partly lifted from a display position within the bay; and wherein each leg of the L-shaped bar includes an offset portion adjacent the crook of the L for forming a relatively wider portion of the bay in the plane of the L than the adjacent portion of the bay further from the crook of the L for receiving the head of a tennis racket 11. A tennis racket display rack comprising:

an elongated support bar;

a plurality of mounting bars extending away from the support bar;

a perforated panel mounting bracket on the end of each of the mounting bars;

a plurality of right angled L-shaped bars in the same plane as the support member each having the crook of the L bonded symmetrically to the support member and having each leg bonded to the leg of the adjacent L-shaped bar, each leg of each L- shaped bar including a crossbar extending generally parallel to the opposite leg for forming a plurality of symmetrical orthogonal racket supporting bays at 45 from the length of the display rack, and wherein the distance between each leg of the bay and the respective cross-bar is sufficient for supporting the head of a racket with the center of gravity of the racket below the L-shaped bars;

an enlarged head on the end of the leg of each of the L-shaped bars for inhibiting removal of a racket from the bay unless it is partly lifted from a display position within the bay; and

an offset portion on each leg adjacent the crook of the L for forming a relatively wider portion of the bay in the plane of the L than the adjacent portion of the bay further from the crook of the L for receiving the head of a tennis racket. 

1. A tennis racket display rack comprising: an elongated support member; means for mounting the support member in a horizontal position; a plurality of individual tennis racket support bays along the length of the support member for supporting the heads of a plurality of rackets, each support bay having racket support portions skewed relative to the length of the support member for supporting the heads of adjacent rackets parallel to each other and offset from each other for exposing a portion of the face of each racket, each support bay being formed by: the inside of a generally L-shaped bar bonded at the crook of the L to the support member, a cross-bar on the end of each leg of the L extending generally parallel to the other leg of the L; and means at the end of each of the cross-bars for inhibiting removal of a racket from the bay unless it is partly lifted from a display position within the bay.
 2. A tennis racket display rack as defined in claim 1 wherein the means for inhibiting removal comprises an enlarged bead on the end of the cross-bar.
 3. A tennis racket display rack as defined in claim 1 wherein each leg of the L-shaped bar includes an offset portion adjacent the crook of the L for receiving the head of a tennis racket.
 4. A tennis racket display rack as defined in claim 3 wherein the distance between the offset portion of each leg of each L-shaped bar and the opposite cross-bar is sufficient for supporting the head of a racket with the center of gravity of the racket below the L-shaped bar.
 5. A tennis racket display rack as defined in claim 4 wherein the means for mounting comprises a plurality of perforated panel mounting brackets spaced apart along the length of the rack, each of the brackets comprising a pair of L-shaped pins for extending through holes in a perforated panel, a nut and a bolt threaded through the nut for bearing on the face of a perforated panel.
 6. A tennis racket display rack comprising: an elongated support bar; a plurality of mounting bars extending away from the support bar; a perforated panel mounting bracket on the end of each of the mounting bars; and a plurality of right angled L-shaped bars each having the crook of the L bonded symmetrically to the support member and having each leg bonded to the leg of the adjacent L-shaped bar, each leg of each L-shaped bar including a cross-bar extending generally parallel to the opposite leg for forming a plurality of symmetrical orthogonal racket supporting bays at 45* from the length of the display rack, and wherein the distance between each leg of the bay and the respective cross-bar is sufficient for supporting the head of a racket with the center of gravity of the racket below the L-shaped bars.
 7. A tennis racket display rack as defined in claim 6 further comprising: means at the end of the leg of each of the L-shaped bars for inhibiting removal of a racket from the bay unless it is partly lifted from a display position within the bay.
 8. A tennis racket display rack as defined in claim 7 wherein the means for inhibiting removal comprises an enlarged bead on the end of the leg of the L-shaped bar.
 9. A tennis racket display rack as defined in claim 8 wherein each leg includes an offset portion adjacent the crook of the L for receiving the head of a tennis racket.
 10. A tennis racket display rack comprising: an elongated support member; means for mounting the support member in a horizontal position; a plurality of individual tennis racket support bays along the length of the support member for supporting the heads of a plurality of rackets, each support bay having racket support portions skewed relative to the length of the support member for supporting the heads of adjacent rackets parallel to each other and offset from each other for exposing a portion of the face of each racket, each support bay being formed by: the inside of a generally L-shaped bar lying in the same plane as the support member and bonded at the crook of the L to the support member, a cross-bar on the end of each leg of the L extending generally parallel to the other leg of the L; and means at the end of each of the cross-bars for inhibiting removal Of a racket from the bay unless it is partly lifted from a display position within the bay; and wherein each leg of the L-shaped bar includes an offset portion adjacent the crook of the L for forming a relatively wider portion of the bay in the plane of the L than the adjacent portion of the bay further from the crook of the L for receiving the head of a tennis racket.
 11. A tennis racket display rack comprising: an elongated support bar; a plurality of mounting bars extending away from the support bar; a perforated panel mounting bracket on the end of each of the mounting bars; a plurality of right angled L-shaped bars in the same plane as the support member each having the crook of the L bonded symmetrically to the support member and having each leg bonded to the leg of the adjacent L-shaped bar, each leg of each L-shaped bar including a crossbar extending generally parallel to the opposite leg for forming a plurality of symmetrical orthogonal racket supporting bays at 45* from the length of the display rack, and wherein the distance between each leg of the bay and the respective cross-bar is sufficient for supporting the head of a racket with the center of gravity of the racket below the L-shaped bars; an enlarged head on the end of the leg of each of the L-shaped bars for inhibiting removal of a racket from the bay unless it is partly lifted from a display position within the bay; and an offset portion on each leg adjacent the crook of the L for forming a relatively wider portion of the bay in the plane of the L than the adjacent portion of the bay further from the crook of the L for receiving the head of a tennis racket. 